Unions announce second strike

The NHS is to face a second day of strike action as unions continue their dispute with the government over NHS pay.

Unions will stage a four hour walk out from 7am until 11am on Monday 24 November followed by work to rule until Sunday 30 November.

Members of 11 unions, including Unison, will strike on 24 November

Eleven trade unions will take part in the strike including Unison which has 250,000 health members in England; the Royal College of Midwives; Unite, GMB and Managers in Partnership.

Christina McAnea, chair of the NHS trade unions’ staff side council, said: “The next set of industrial action will be even stronger as more unions are joining in.

“Health workers care for patients and their families every day of the year often when they are at their most vulnerable or distressed. The NHS depends on the goodwill and commitment of the workforce and this is now at breaking point.

“The government has made no attempt to resolve this dispute and staff have been left with no alternative but to take more industrial action. Jeremy Hunt needs to realise that this dispute is not going away. All we are asking for is fair pay.”

Instead, the government imposed a two year deal in which employees eligible for incremental pay rises under Agenda for Change receive no separate cost of living rise, while employees not eligible for an increment receive a non-consolidated, non-pensionable, 1 per cent pay rise.

The government has offered the unions a deal to give staff a consolidated pay rise if unions agreed to a freeze on increments in 2015-16.

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